Leukemia – Medical Marijuana Research Overview

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Leukemia is cancer of bone marrow blood cells. Studies have shown marijuana stimulates leukemia cell death, assists in the management of symptoms associated with cancer and traditional cancer treatments, and lowers the risk of complications following bone marrow transplants.

Overview of Leukemia

Leukemia is cancer of the body’s blood cells that form within the bone marrow and the lymphatic system. As cancerous blood cells form, they eventually crowd out healthy blood cells. According to the National Cancer Institute, while leukemia primarily affects adults over the age of 55, it is also the most common cancer in children under 15.

There are many types of leukemia. The most common form of leukemia involves white blood cells, which are essential for the body to effectively fight off infections. In leukemia, the bone marrow produces abnormal white blood cells that don’t function properly, which in turn weakens the immune system. Although not as common, red blood cells, which are responsible for carrying oxygen throughout the body, and platelets, which are cells that clot the blood, can also become cancer.

The cause of leukemia remains unknown, but it develops when blood cells acquire mutations or abnormalities in their DNA. These abnormalities cause them to grow and divide more rapidly.

Treatment of leukemia typically involves chemotherapy. Biological therapy, targeted therapy and radiation therapy are also used to combat leukemia. A stem cell transplant, which replaces diseased bone marrow with healthy bone marrow, may also be required.

Findings: Effects of Cannabis on Leukemia

Evidence suggests that cannabis shows potential as a viable treatment option for leukemia. One of the major cannabinoids found in cannabis, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), has been shown to induce apoptosis, or death, of leukemia cells (Powles, et al., 2005) (Murison, et al., 1987) (Scott, Shah, Dalgleish & Liu, 2013). Another major cannabinoid, cannabidiol (CBD), has also been shown to significantly decrease tumor burden and increase the death of cancerous leukemia cells (Gallily, et al., 2003) (McKallip, et al., 2006) (Scott, Shah, Dalgleish & Liu, 2013). Evidence has shown that a greater dose of cannabis is associated with a greater apoptosis response (Gallily, et al., 2003). One study found that combining THC treatment with additional established cytotoxic agents could further enhance leukemia cancer cell death (Liu, et al., 2008). These findings have caused researchers to conclude that cannabis “may be a novel and highly selective treatment for leukemia” (McKallip, et al., 2006).

One case study following a 14-year-old patient with an aggressive form of acute lymphoblastic leukemia observed improvements with oral cannabis treatment. The patient had previously undergone a bone marrow transplant and aggressive chemotherapy and radiation therapies, all of which has proven ineffective and had caused her to become ill and severely underweight. While she struggled with nausea, oral cannabis showed to provide anticancer effects, causing a drop in leukemic blast cell count, and the patient appeared to be gradually improving before she developed peritonitis and passed away due to her weakened immune system. Researchers had observed prior to her passing, however, that the greater the daily dosage of cannabis, the greater the response (Singh & Bali, 2013).

Cannabis has also been found to help cancer patients manage the nausea, vomiting and pain associated with traditional cancer treatments and to stimulate appetite (Guzman, 2003).

In addition, CBD has been shown to help prevent complications that can occur after a leukemia patient receives a stem cell or bone marrow transplant. Researchers discovered that leukemia patients that had undergone a transplant while being treated with CBD had a significantly lower risk of acquiring graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), a complication after a transplant where the transplanted cells attack the recipient’s body (Yeshurun, et al., 2015).

This article may contain certain forward-looking statements and information, as defined within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and is subject to the Safe Harbor created by those sections. This material contains statements about expected future events and/or financial results that are forward-looking in nature and subject to risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements by definition involve risks, uncertainties.

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